Hi Kidz’s history in France goes back to the early 1950s, when our founder, Jean André, saw the post-WWII poverty and malnutrition among that country’s children. Through his friends, he invited hundreds of French children to attend Easter and summer camps in Switzerland.
Eventually, special centers were set up in six major cities – Paris, Lille, Lyon, Marseilles Bordeaux and Strasbourg – to register children going to camps. These centers also recruited teachers and group leaders to look after the children during the camps and to ensure their follow-up year-round through clubs.
From 1961 to 1988, socially underprivileged French children attended a Christian boarding school Mr. André had opened in a castle in the Swiss village of Montcherand.
Evangelical Churches in France have two main representations: the Alliance Evangélique de France (AEF) and the Fédération Evangélique de France (FEF). Hi Kidz Director, Paul Brignon, is a Board member for the AEF and Les Semailles (Hi Kidz name in France) is a member of the FEF.
Today, Les Semailles is active mainly in camps and clubs. The artistic branch of the ministry, Semailles & Création, produces spectacular Christian-themed musicals performed by children and young people
Les Semailles oversees mainland France and also our ministries in the French territories of Guadeloupe and Reunion Island; it has also been instrumental in helping develop our activities in Madagascar since 2004. Presently, Les Semailles is implementing a new strategy with the aim of having a resource person in seven major cities across the country to encourage and equip churches to reach out and minister to un-churched kids.
"I am really happy that I went to Adventure Camp. It was really super and I hope I can come back next year."
"Camp can’t be over already! Time has gone by too quickly. It’s too bad we didn’t have more time to play."
From a mother: “The work you are doing is really super. Children today really need to receive the Word of God and the values that you are imparting to them.”
In 843, the Treaty of Verdun created a territory called Western Francia, which was the precursor to modern France. Several noble families ruled the country until the monarchy was overthrown during the French Revolution in 1798.
In the 20th century, France suffered considerable losses in WWI, and was occupied by the Nazis during WWII, before being liberated in 1944 in a joint effort of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.
May 1968 was a historically important month for France, when a wave of student and worker protests swept the country and challenged its traditional values, education and employment models.
Today, France is home to a large number of immigrants from North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), former French colonies. Although all children born in France have French nationality, these children from the Maghreb usually are not well integrated and have a bleak future. This has given rise to unrest and massive rioting in some of France’s big cities.
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